IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak revealed during Nordic Game 2018 that the studio’s latest Hitman title, which followed an episodic release format, has surpassed 13 million players.

Abrak was speaking about IO Interactive parting ways with Square Enix when he mentioned that Hitman didn’t achieve the commercial success that the developer had hoped it would achieve. He acknowledged that the game’s physical release happened a little “too late” but also said that the disc version sold well and helped to boost digital sales as gamers felt it was a good time to “jump in because it’s done.”

“We were at the peak of our game, extremely agile, on top of the digital platforms, and we had a great game – the best Hitman game in 20 years – but we hadn’t achieved the commercial aspect,” said Abrak. “We were quite far from where we needed to be.”

IO Interactive subsequently went the independent route but Hitman already has a new publisher. Back in April, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that it would be publishing and distributing the latest iteration’s Definitive Edition worldwide.

“Working with a partner like WBIE means that the team at IO Interactive can stay focused on what we’re good at, making games,” said Abrak last month.